Cleveland, OH – Luis Mendoza picked up his first win of the season and Kansas City won a series for just the second time in 2012 with a 4-2 victory over Cleveland on Thursday.
Mendoza (1-2) allowed two runs on four hits over five-plus innings, and the Royals' bullpen pitched four scoreless frames for Kansas City's first series victory since it opened the season by taking 2-of-3 from the Angels. They are 0-10 at home.
"This is good for the team," Mendoza said. "After that bad homestand, we needed to win this series."
Jonathan Broxton worked around a hit and a walk in the ninth to record his second save.
Travis Hafner and Aaron Cunningham drove in runs for the Indians, who received 4 2/3 innings from Josh Tomlin (1-2) in a losing effort. He surrendered four runs on eight hits with two walks.
Kansas City put a run on the board in the top of the first, but missed an opportunity for a big inning. Tomlin gave up a pair of hits around a walk to the first three batters, but was able to get Eric Hosmer to ground into a double play and Jeff Francoeur to ground out.
Yuniesky Betancourt scored on the double play, but Tomlin escaped without further damage.
"My command just wasn't as sharp as it should have been early in the game," Tomlin admitted. "Other than that, I felt pretty good."
Cleveland's starter could not avoid a string of two-out hits in the fifth, however. With Alex Gordon and Billy Butler aboard, Jeff Francoeur began the rally with a liner to left, plating Gordon. Mike Moustakas brought home Butler on a grounder through the hole into right, spelling the end of Tomlin's afternoon.
He was lifted for Dan Wheeler, who gave up a run-scoring base hit to Brayan Pena but got the third out without another run.
Aaron Cunningham singled home Jose Lopez in the home third to get the Indians on the board.
A bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the sixth trimmed their deficit to two runs, but a strikeout followed by a soft groundout prevented them from pulling any closer.
Game Notes
Royals pitcher Danny Duffy will not make his scheduled start in Friday's series opener against the Twins due to an elbow issue. Instead, Everett Teaford, 0-1 with a 3.86 earned run average in two relief appearances this season, will make the spot start...Mendoza was charged with an error...Cleveland was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base...Cleveland opens a three-game set with the Angels on Friday.
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